Metallic fencepost



' Mays, 1923.

Fileduan,l `18 A.1922

c B MURTON l METALLI'GFENGEPOST Patented May 8, 1923.

i CRAWFORD B. MURTON, OF CHICAGO HEIGHTS, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO INLANDSTEEL COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

METALLIC FENCEPOST.

Application lfiled January 18, 1922. Serial No. 530,038.

To all whom t may eoncem: Be it known that I, CRAWFORD B. .MUR-

' TON, a citizen of the United States, residing lic Fenceposts, of whichthe following is a' specification.

My invention relates to fence posts, more particularly those constructedof metal, and

the object of the invention is to provide a post to which the groundanchor may be secured without puncturing the post and by elementsintegral with the post itself. My purpose is to provide a constructionwhich avoids the need of a clip and extra perforations, and makes itpossible for the elements on the postvto hold, unaided, the groundanchor in position. Another object is to provide, in a post of thistype, a construction such that the manufacturer may have a choice as to.the position of the ground anchor, lengthwise ofthe post.

I accomplish my objects by the construction illustrated in theaccompanying drawings in Which- Figure l is a general assembly view inperspective showing the post inserted in the ground, Vrand thev groundanchor and fence wires in position.

Figure 2 is a detail drawn on an increased scale showing a ground anchorsecured to the post. The view shows the ends of the lufrs riveted overonto the ground anchor.

igure 3 is a vertical section on the line 3 3, Figure 2. Y Figure 4 is aplan section on the line F iofure 2.

Figure 5 is a plan section on the line 5:5, Figure l, and

Figure 6 is a pers ective of the preferred form of ground anc or.

Like numerals denote like parts throughout the several views.

According to the design illustrated the post is a metallic T barhavingia front or head 1 and-a web or stem 2 extending rearward. A lowrib 4' extends longitudinally along the frontof the bar and at intervalsthere are lugs 3 adapted to penetrate the slots 6 in the ground anchor7. By preference the sides of the lugs are parallel with the length ofthe bar and the sides of the slots are arallel and fit fairly closely tothe sides of t e lugs so as to prevent undue lating bars and angles itis practically .impos- .eral movement of the anchor. Whilethe form ofthe anchor ma be varied, it is here illustrated in the ferm of a regulartrapezium, the shortest side whereof is arranged at the bottom.

In general, the parts above mentioned are the same as in the aforesaidJones application, but according to my invention the lugs projectfarther from the surface of the bar, thus affording suiiicient metalvfor the pro'- jecting vends to be riveted over onto the front of theanchor for holding it in place. In other words, whereas in the formshown in the Jones invention the anchor has two sets ofl perforations,one set for the lugs'and the other set forthe fasteningclips, I omit thesecond set and the clipsand increase the height of the lugs and supplyenough metal fin them to form a head or rivet for holdin the anchor inplace. There are several a vantages in this. In the first place, only asingle set of perforations in the anchor yis reorany o the otheradvantages obtained by the Jones post. While it is not essential that 8the anchor be fastened at the mill or place of manufacture, this isnevertheless, desirable, as machines are usually available there for thepurpose. As pointed out in the vJ ones application, the advantage informing the sides of the lugs parallel to the length of the bar andelongating the slots 6 and the anchor, is to enable the anchor toaccommodate itself to variations in Aspacing of thelug. In rollsible toform lugs on accurate spacing, as the spacing will vary somewhat inaccordance with the temperature of the bar at the time it is rolled'. Byelongating the slots as described, the anchor will vaccommodate 100present case I have illustrated means similar 1'05 to the one shown inthe said Jones application. The fence wires 10 are held inlplace byclips 12 formed preferably of round rods bent in such manner as to passover the front of the wires and engage 'the marginal 11o I without,sacrificing anything in the way of security fianges of the bar. Usuallyone end, as la,

is sent from the factory, ready bent, while the other end l5 is leftbent at right angles to the body of the bar, as shown in dotted lines inFigure 5. After the parts have been adjusted this end l5 can be set tofinal position by a hammer or other tool.

lt is desirable to alternate the slant of the clips, as this seenisto bea more effective manner of preventing any vertical displacement of thefencing. lt is also desirable, although not'necessarj' to cup the topsof the lugs, as best illustrated in Figure l. rl`his causes the metal ofthe lugs to flow more freely over onto the top of the anchor, andprevents the metal from spreading at a point between the inner surfaceof the anchor and the adjacent surface of the post. v

My post also has an advantage from the ma'nufacturers standpoint incommon with the Jones type of post in that the bars may be producedinvcontinuous lengths and then cut off to form stock or special sizes.rl'his results from the fact that the lugs extend at intervals along theentire post. Of course all of them will not be'used in practice, andtheoretically, certain of the lugs may be omitted, but itv isadvantageous, at least from the manufacturers standpoint, to prospacingthe Wires, and a ground anchor in the form of a platel having aperturesfor re ceiving said lugs. said lugs projecting sufficiently to penetratethe plate and leave suicient metal to be riveted over on to the outernaaaaae surface of the plate, said lugs thereby performing theadditional functions of holding the ground anchor in proper location onthe post and fastened to it.

2. A metallic fence post having a longitudinal row of lugs projectingfrom onesurface and a ground anchor adjacent to said surface, the lugshaving iat sides parallel to the sides of the post and the anchor havingslots adapted to fit the lugs approximately at the sides, the slotsbeing elongatedfor accommodating variations in the spacing of the lugs,and the lugs being appreciably higherthan thc thickness of the anchor,and the metal of the lugs being expanded over onto the outer surface ofthe lug for holding it in place.

v3. A rolled metallic fence post in the form of a T bar having a row ofintegral lugs on its front and a ground anchor having slots foraccommodating them, said lugs being of greater height than the thicknessof the anchor end to facilitate riveting of the metal and a flowing ofit onto the front of the anchor, saidrow of lugs extending approximatelyfrom end to end of the postwhereby the ground anchor may be variouslypositioned and the upper lugsmay serve to limit the vertical movement ofthe fence Wires.

4. A rolled metallic fence post having a chiefly flat front surfacehaving a low rib running lengthwise of it with lugs projecting forwardfrom the rib and therefore being in alinement With each other, and a.

ground anchor having a plurality of apertures one above the other andadapted to accommodate the lugs, said 'lugs projecting forward furtherthan the thickness of the ground anchor to thus afford sufficient metalto be riveted over against the front of the ground anchor to retain it.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

CRAVFORD B. MURTON. lVitnesses:

F. E. GREEN, F. LORENZ.

